Tendon puller



R. S. ZEBARTH TENDON FULLER April 30, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 8, 1954 I lr\| H.

' INVENTOR. FaJafl 5. Zeba/vfi 4% ATWNEK R. S. ZEBARTH TENDON FULLER April 30, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 8, 1954 INVENTOR. FaZa/z .5. ZekJ/vfi HTTORNE United States Patent TENDON PULLER Ralph S. Zebarth, Hickman Mills, Mo., assignor to Gordon Johnson Equipment Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application June a, 1954, Serial No. 435,204

4 Claims. CI. 17-11:.

This invention relates to equipment adapted for use in the process of dressing poultry and particularly to a tendon puller capable of breaking turkey legs and removing the tendons in a single operation.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide a machine for quickly and efliciently breaking turkey legs as quickly as the same are inserted into slots provided in the machine therefor, and to slowly and steadily pull the tendons so that the same are removed without breaking.

Another important object of the instant invention is to provide a tendon puller that is fast in its operation so that the turkeys may be removed from a conveyor line, the legs inserted for breaking and removal of the tendons in the machine and the turkey replaced on the conveyor line as as latter continues to move alongside the tendon pulling machine.

Other important objects include the way in which slotted brackets are provided and disposed relative to a breaking bar or anvil so as to hold the legs against tipping as the same are broken and as the tendons are pulled therefrom; the way in which a slotted, rotatable member is disposed to move past slotted brackets to receive the legs and impart a gradual pull thereon; and the manner of providing automatic ejecting means for removing the legs from the slots of the rotating member after the legs are broken and the tendons removed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a tendon puller made pursuant to the instant invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, top plan view thereof with the cover removed.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on irregular line VV of Fig. 3.

A hollow, open top housing is shown in the drawings mounted on suitable framework 12, the latter of which also mounts and supports a rotor broadly designated by the numeral 14 through the medium of bearings 16 receiving horizontal shaft 18 of the rotor 14.

Frame 12, together with brackets 20 thereon, supports a shelf or platform 22 upon which is secured an electric motor or other prime mover 24 coupled by belt and pulley means 26 with a gear reduction unit 28 also carried by the platform 22. An idler shaft 30 rotatably mounted on the platform 22 in parallelism with the shaft 18 is driven by chain and sprocket wheel means 32 operably interconnecting unit 28 and shaft 30. A pair of chain and sprocket wheel means 34 and 36 operably interconnect shafts 18 and 30.

In addition to the shaft 18, rotor 14 includes a pair of end discs 38 and 40 rigid to the shaft 18 and interconnected by a plurality of supporting bars 42 for combina tion hammer and pulling members 44. The transversely arcuate members 44 which span the distance between Patented Apr. 30, 1957 the discs 38 and 40 are rigid to the bars 42 and are provided with a series of substantially V-shaped notches 46. Rotor 14 is rotated anti-clockwise, viewing Fig. 3, past an elongated bar or anvil 48 secured to the frame 12 and having a horizontal, uppermost edge 50 at the front of the machine and along the top edge of housing 10. The anvil 48 supports a-number of arcuate bracket elements 52 having opposed leg-receiving clearance notches 54.

Leg ejecting mechamsm is provided for each member 44 respectively and including a rod 56 therebehmd and rotatably supported by the discs 38 and 40 in parallelism with the shaft 18. An ejecting finger 58 extends into each slot 46 respectively, the fingers 58 being mounted on the rod 56 and being yieldably biased into the apexes of the slots 46 by spring 60. bpring 60 is connected at one end thereof to a pm 62 extending outwardly from ice .(1180 38 and at its opposite end to a small plate 64 secured ly, but quickly, remove the tendons, it is but necessary for the operator to place the legs in the V-shaped slotsv '54 with the knees disposed at the outermost faces of the bracket elements 52. Those portions of the turkey legs to be broken and removed will, therefore, extend across the horizontal edge 50 of anvil 48 within the path of travel of the members 44 of rotor 14. Manifestly, the slots 54 are aligned with a pair of notches 46 of the members 44 and, therefore, as the members 44 move past the anvil 48 as best visualized from viewing Figs. 3 and 4, the legs which are protruding inwardly will be received in the notches 46 and the feet of the bird will be entirely confined within the rotor 14.

As the rotor 14 continues to rotate and as a member 44 grasping a pair of turkey legs within the notches 46, moves downwardly, the bracket 52 being used will hold the legs against tipping on the edge 50 of anvil 48 and, therefore, the said legs will be immediately broken.

The broken portions of the legs will thereupon be pulled downwardly and inwardly and by virtue of such gradual and steady pull, the tendons will not be broken but will be pulled out of the turkey legs and into the housing 10.

As soon as the plates 64 move to a position engaging the trip bar 66, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, plates 64 will be swung anti-clockwise viewing Fig. 3, with respect to the rotating rotor 14 and against the action of spring 60 to thereby swing the fingers 58 outwardly away from the apexes of notches 46 as shown in Fig. 4. The fingers 58, therefore, eject the legs from the members 44 and into the confines of the housing 10 for gravitation to the floor where they may be subsequently collected and disposed of.

It is now apparent that all of the aims and objects of the instant invention initially set forth are attained through use of the structure just above described and, therefore, while details of construction may be varied, it is desired to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. 7

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A combination leg-breaking and tendon-pulling machine for poultry comprising a rotor; a stationary anvil adjacent the circumference of the rotor, having a single edge parallel with the axis of rotation of said rotor across which both of the poultry legs are adapted to be laid in relative parallelism, and extending radially of the rotor thereinto toward said axis of rotation, with the feet of the poultry disposed on one side of the anvil and with the knee joints er q isp e o n the opposite .sideofihe anvil, said rotor being provided with a combination hamrner and pulling member at said circumference thereof having a pair of notches disposed to receive saidlegs.

between the anvil and the feet when the legs arela-id on the anviland the rotor isrotated tomovfilhqmernherin one direction past the anvil and retainer means for hold-v ing the legs against tippingon the anvil when receivedin said notches, whereby the member breaks the legs, including a'bracket element mounted on said opposite side of the anvil, said element having ,a pair Of leg-receiving notches, whereby the tendons are pulled by the member, after ka f thel s Yes th .knee joints. engage theelement n the membe nsage said feet, ea h pair of notches" each n h f i mber has.legwejectorsmeanss vin a V le n ax pa all lwith said axis otthe rotor, and wherein is provided stationary trip meanswithin the path of travel of the ejector means forswinging theisan e.

4. Acombination leg-breaking and tendon-pulling ma-v V hi OI. no ltry comp in a ro or having ,atpair. of

spaced ends; means mounting saidrotor for rotation on.

a horizontal axis; astationary anvil adjaeentthecircumference of the rotor having, a single, uppermost, hori zontal edge parallel with said axis aCrQss, whichhboth of the poultry legs are adapted tobe laid in the same. hor izontal plane, in relative parallelism, and extending radial-1.

1y oi,t.l1e, ro,tor .thereinto toward .saidaxis of rotation, with the feet of the poultry disposed on one side of the anvil and with the knee joints thereof disposed on the opposite side of the anvil, said rotor being provided with a plurality of spaced, elongated combination hammer and pulling members at said circumference thereof interconnecting said ends, each provided 'with a longitudinal row of notches disposed in parallelism with said axis for receiving said legs between the anvil and the feet when the legs are laid on the anvil and the rotoris rotated to move'the members in one direction past the anvil; and retainer means for holding the legs against tipping on the anvil when received ,in .saidnotchesiwhereby the member breaks the legs, including a plurality of spaced bracket elements mounted on said opposite side of the anvil, each having a pair of oppositely-facing, leg-receiving notches aligned with a corresponding pair of notches of each member, whereby the tendons arepulled by the member after breakage of the legs as the knee joints engagetheelements and the members engage saidfeet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 732,300 Hollender June 30, 1903 2,653,346 Ograbisz Sept. 29, 1953 2,690,588 Hillsen Oct. 5, 1954 2,694,219 Mayer Nov. 16, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 326,037 Great Britain Mar. 6, 1930 OTHER REFERENCES Turkey World, April 1954, page 32. 

